Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology | 2019
Acute Impact of the Artificial Sweetener Aspartame on the Ultrastructures of Hepatocyte in Mice
Abstract
A non-saccharide artificial sweetener, aspartame \n(L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester) is used worldwide as a sugar \nsubstitute in many foods and beverages. The objective of this work was to \nclarify the acute impact of various doses of daily ingestion of Aspartame at \nthe cellular level of the liver tissues in mice. Sixty adult male mice were \ndivided into five groups including control fed normal diet and tap water, while \nother 4 groups (12 each) were daily fed orally with 1 mL of either 40, 500, \n1000 and 1500 mg/Kg b.wt. APM dissolved in distilled water using gavages for \nconsecutive 5 weeks. Liver samples fixed in 10% formalin were cut as 5 μm using Leica microtome and the sections were stained with both \nroutine Heamatoxylene and Eosin (H & E) \nas well as Transmission electron \nMicroscope (TEM). Histological results showed cellular changes in the hepatic \ntissues which were proportional with the increased doses. The hepatocytes had \ndeveloped fatty droplets in the cytoplasm of almost all cells, loss of nuclei, \nnecrosis detectable at LM level. Lymphatic nodules were also generated around \nthe triads and the central hepatic veins as well as intracellular gaps with \nhigher doses. The TEM results demonstrated degradation \nof mitochondria indicating the direct acute effects of the aspartame on hepatic \ntissues which all were proportional with the increased doses. It is concluded \nthat the daily ingestion of aspartame, even at lower doses, has acute effects \nand is dose dependant on hepatic cells which could exert further risks onto \nother tissues of consumers on the long run.